


For the Fear of Flying

by minniesundays



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Broom Racing (Harry Potter), F/M, Firewhiskey (Harry Potter), Fluff, Hogwarts Eighth Year, Truth or Dare
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-13
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-12 17:20:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29388315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/minniesundays/pseuds/minniesundays
Summary: Gryffindors take Truth or Dare very seriously...
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy
Comments: 8
Kudos: 83





	For the Fear of Flying

**Author's Note:**

> Enjoy the antics of 8th year Hogwart's students :)

When someone asked her how she got over her fear of flying a broom, Hermione Granger would come up with a lie. After all, she couldn’t very well tell them the true story.

\---

Truth or dare in the Gryffindor Common Room always was nothing but chaos. Their 8thyear common room seemed to adopt the Gryffindor traditions regarding the game – diluted veritserum for all truths and no boring dares. The Muggleborn and half-blood Gryffindors started the “what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas” type of attitude for the game as well.

When Hermione returned to Hogwarts for her 8thyear, she was offered the Head Girl position. She took it, despite tremendous guilt for taking it away from a 7thyear, i.e., Ginny Weasley. Ginny told her she didn’t care, she was already the only girl in her family, she didn’t feel the need to compete with the boys’ accomplishments and this way she could focus on being the quidditch captain and dating the Boy Who Lived.

She somehow managed to convince Harry and Ron to return for their redo 7thyear. She wasn’t sure what did it – probably the claim that he’d get to spend abundance of time with Ginny for Harry. Ron basically kicked and screamed the whole Hogwarts Express ride, grumbling about how he shouldn’t have made this decision. Hermione offered him a chocolate frog and watched his eyes light up. But if Harry was returning, so was Ron. They were an inseparable duo.

Ron and she had tried their hand at dating and broke poor Molly Weasley’s heart when she called it quits after the adrenaline rush of winning the war ran dry. She told him she loved him and always would but wasn’t sure how to be with him when they weren’t under constant vigilance. Ron agreed – reluctantly, but nevertheless. They decided they just weren’t meant to be, they never had the chance to be normal kids. If they ended up together years down the line, then so be it.

So, with her Head Girl pin high on her lapel, Hermione strode into Hogwarts for her 8thyear. She had assisted with managing the reconstruction effort, so it wasn’t even close to her first-time setting foot in the castle post war. It still hurt to see the different spots where a classmate died or where she had memories with the fallen.

She shouldn’t have been surprised by who was made Head Boy, but when she entered McGonagall’s office, she had faltered upon seeing silver hair. He had changed the hairstyle though and it fell in waves upon his head, strands brushing against his forehead. She wouldn’t call it messy, but it was the first time she had ever seen his hair anything other than straight, rigid, slicked back. It looked good.

With that thought, Hermione’s face burned bright red as she realized he was looking at her with that damn lopsided smirk curved across his lips. Her face flushed redder and she rushed to take her seat in the large chair next to him.

McGonagall began informing them of their duties, carefully listing out concerns for this year, and emphasizing the ever-present need for inter-house unity. She then relayed the news of where they’d be sleeping.

The normal Head dorms had been destroyed in the war and they apparently hadn’t gotten around to fixing them just yet. Instead, the two would have their dorms in a loft-style above the new 8thyear dorms. There weren’t enough 8thyears to justify rooming the houses separately and they couldn’t go to their normal houses as those dorms were needed by the other students. Because of that, they had carefully constructed an entire new set of dorms entirely for the 8thyear students. And Hermione and Malfoy would be living right next to each other lofted above the rest of their grade.

Just when she thought the year couldn’t get any better.

But that had been months ago, and Hermione had spent the first two weeks nervous and jittery around the pale Slytherin. She had testified for him at his trial this summer, so why was she worried he was going to lob a slur in her direction whenever he entered a room? She wasn’t sure if he had stopped subscribing to the Pureblood fanatical beliefs before or after an egomaniac moved into his house, but based on their interactions, it definitely had happened.

They began a friendship when Hermione finally decided to stop worrying about him. It had turned out they had a fair number of things in common; from their love of books to studious nature, he was second in the class after all. Malfoy had started joining her at her favorite table in the library. Usually wordlessly, he’d slide in across from her and open his book. The first time it had happened, he had to remind her to close her mouth. He also started engaging in thought provoking discussions with her – about anything and everything. Conversations she used to have one-sided with her Gryffindor boys. He teased her relentlessly, which wasn’t new, but now it felt light-hearted and in good fun. She started teasing back.

Nothing nefarious had occurred and if Hermione had relayed any of the events, her friends would immediately claim he was just flirting with her, but she was sure he was playing with her. She didn’t know why, but she felt like a mouse being flicked between his paws. He was toying with her she was sure of it. She just needed to figure out the game so she could play it back. She hadn’t meant to start liking him.

He'd arrive back in their dorms after quidditch practice, skipping on the shower in their locker room, instead opting for the one in their dorms. He'd be sweaty and panting from exertion and she couldn't take her eyes off fo him. His Slytherin uniform stretched over his muscles, his hair mused and strewn over his forehead no matter how many times he pushed if out of his eyes. She did always have a fondness for quidditch players.

He was always looking at her, whether from his desk in potions or from across the Great Hall at dinner. She didn’t even have to look up to see his gaze, she could feel it. It burned into her like Fiendfyre. She never could make out the emotions clouding his normally clear and cold eyes, but every time brown met grey, she couldn’t look away. He was entrancing, it was almost as if his eyes could hypnotize her all by themselves.

He’d taken to standing next to her. Not at a respectable distance though. When she’d end up in the common room talking to a fellow 8thyear, standing near a wall while discussing charms class or gossiping or even just small talk, Malfoy would slide up next to her to join the conversation, close enough that she could feel the heat from his body, but it never touched her.

He’d started touching her too. Nothing too bold or crazy, but it was like he had studied the way she interacted with her friends and was intent on mimicking their nature. Gryffindors had a way of being incredibly affectionate and touchy with their friends. Many of them showed their love through touch, whether that was a simple squeeze of the shoulder or as far as her and Ginny curled up next to each other while reading on one of the couches. She even once sat in Ginny’s lap when there were no seats left. Malfoy quickly excused himself after that. Theodore Nott had called after him, offering to sit in his lap if he was jealous.

After that night, he began initiating contact. Hermione had always been touchy in their friendship – although sometimes it resulted in her blood rushing to her face – usually just sitting next to him on the couch, their legs bumping together, or hugging him he brought her sugar quills after she aced a potions exam. So, when he put his hand on her lower back while they walked, Hermione almost tripped from the feel of his hand spreading across her back, its warmth seeping through her uniform.

That’s how she found herself sitting in the haphazard circle on the floor of the 8thyear common room, crisscrossed next to Malfoy, their knees touching as his long legs didn’t yield well to the position. He had his arms spread behind him, leaning back on his hands, one of them resting behind Hermione. It ensured that every time she breathed, her back brushed against his bicep.

They were playing truth or dare, almost every 8thyear sitting on the floor, their lounges and couches pushed to the walls to make more room. With Malfoy on one side of her, Hermione was wedged between him and Theo. Blaise Zabini sat on the other side of Malfoy, Harry and Ginny sitting next to Theo. Ron was sitting by his sister and the circle contained the likes of Neville, Dean and Seamus – who had finally gotten back together, Pansy, Daphne, Luna, Padma, Hannah, and a couple others.

It was coming up on being her turn, currently landing on Harry.

“Potter, truth or dare?”

“Dare.” Between the Gryffindor spirit and the firewhiskey that had been passed around their little circle, all of them had lowered inhibitions so she wasn’t surprised by edge of excitement that Harry’s voice carried.

“Hmm, how surprising.” She was close enough to Malfoy that she could feel the vibrations when he talked, and she barely stifled the shiver that almost spread down her spine.

“Oh, shove off, Malfoy.”

“OH! I know!” Luna said.

“This is gonna be good.” Came from Ron.

“I dare you to streak through the halls, without using your invisibility cloak.”

Damn, okay, maybe Luna had some edge to her.

When Harry stood and started stripping, the room erupted in whoops and laughter. Hermione started laughing so hard that her head tipped back, and it brushed against Malfoy’s arm. He reached up and tugged one of her curls and her laughter only got louder.

However, when he leaned over and spoke directly into her ear, her laughter died in her throat.

“I have an idea for Theo’s dare.”

She turned her head to face him, breath catching when she realized he had never backed up, their faces still close together.

“How do you know he’s going to choose dare?” She whispered back.

“Because he’s a snake in the lion’s den.” At her scrunched eyebrows he continued, “Potter just chose dare and Theo is next, he’d look scared if he chose truth.”

“Ahh,” she nodded her head. “What is it?”

“You’ll see.” His face looked simply mischievous and she wanted nothing more than to kiss the look off.

“Really? You’re not going to tell me?”

“It would ruin the fun; I want to see the look on your face when he does it.”

“Hey! That’s no fair! Why would you tell me you had an idea if you weren’t going to tell me it?”

“I wanted to see you squirm. You do it when you’re impatient. It’s fun. Now, c’mon let’s go watch Harry complete his dare.”

She watched with a bated breath as he used her shoulder as leverage to stand up, before pulling her up after him, using a little too much force as she knocked directly into his chest.

The group of them watched as Harry ran naked through the halls, his hands covering his decency. When they saw him sprinting their way, Filch directly on his heels, all the 8thyears ran back to their common room, laughter causing many of them to double over.

Theo collapsed on the floor, panting heavily as giggles left him. “Oh god, I’ve never seen something so hilarious. Luna, you are a genius and I love you.” At that, he popped up and kissed the Ravenclaw’s cheeks, one after another before smiling cheekily at her.

Malfoy and she had discussed many times how obvious it was that Theo and Luna liked each other. And how Blaise and Neville secretly fancied each other but were better at being subtle. Upon seeing the pink on Luna’s face, Hermione turned to Malfoy only to see him already looking down at her. She leaned up to whisper in his ear, but found he was too tall for her. Gripping his jumper, she pulled him down to her level. “They’re so cute.”

Malfoy chuckled. “That’s what you pulled me all the way down here for? Honestly, no wonder you’re always so bossy, you have to make up for your height in attitude.”

“Is that why you’re always so prickly?”

“I don’t have any height to make up for, Granger. Or does me not towering over you remind you of that?”

It did. It definitely did. He was blessed in the height department, long legs, long arms, but somehow not lanky in his distribution. He was honestly beautiful. He reminded her of a marble sculpture. She’d never tell him that though. He didn’t need ego filling. Her head came up to right about his chin. She was lucky he walked leisurely and with the confidence only an aristocrat could have, strolling with his hands in his pockets, otherwise she’d be left in the dust.

“What are you two whispering about?” Theo asked as he approached them.

“Oh, nothing, just how we’d get away with your murder.” Hermione said casually, smirking at the horrified look on Theo’s face and at the stifled laugh from Malfoy.

“Wow, Granger, and here I thought you loved me.” He placed his hand over his chest and his lips were stuck out in a pout.

“You thought wrong, Nott.”

“Alright! Let’s get back to the game!” Harry shouted when he emerged from his room, fully clothed once more.

Once seated, Hermione immediately looked at Malfoy, waiting for him to announce Theo’s dare.

“Hurry up, someone ask me the damned question already.”

“Merlin, so impatient. Nott, truth or dare?”

“Dare, obviously,” he said with a roll of his eyes.

Malfoy’s hand came up to rest right against her, his thumb brushing against her hip. “I dare you to give Luna a lap dance.”

Hermione gasped, that was one way to get the pair to admit feelings for each other. Malfoy squeezed his hand around her hip and she felt her face turn as red as Theo’s.

But, true to his word, Theo stood and walked over to Luna, leaning over to whisper in her ear, causing her to giggle, before performing the worst lap dance Hermione had ever seen. He wobbled and nearly fell over several times, his ass nearly in Luna’s face each time he stumbled. But when it was over, Luna kissed his cheek and grinned at him.

The group couldn’t stop laughing. “I wish I had a camera to record that so I could laugh it every time I have a bad day.” Blaise announced. Hermione enthusiastically agreed with a harsh nod of her head.

“Alright, now it’s the Golden Girl’s turn!” Pansy exclaimed with glee.

Oh no. Pansy smirked at Ginny and Ginny nodded, returning the look. Oh no, Hermione was done for.

“Mia, truth or dare?”

Malfoy’s words from earlier lit up in her head and she got an idea. If Theo felt he couldn’t be outdone by Potter, Malfoy might feel the same way. If she chose dare, so would he, by that logic.

“Dare.”

“Parkinson, you thinking what I’m thinking?”

“Weasley, it’s like you can read my mind.”

“I dare you to go for a broomstick ride.”

Images of Hermione’s fondness for quidditch players, but hatred for flying flashed before her eyes and she knew Ginny was doing it on purpose. She knew her fear and knew she’d ask for someone to go with her, just in case. 

“Can I have someone come with me?”

“Oh, I can—” Ginny cut Harry off quickly with a hand over his mouth.

“Yes, but it has to be Malfoy.”

“But—”

“I'll do it.” Malfoy squeezed her hip once more and she couldn’t stop the blush that painted across her face.

That is how she ended up on the quidditch pitch, alone with Malfoy. Ginny insisted the rest of them stay inside and continue drinking, arguing against venturing out into the cold. Hermione could see the logistics behind the cold claim as she started shivering.

“Here, take this.” Malfoy handed over his jumper, leaving him in an old quidditch long sleeve. She knew it was old because he had obviously grown, his muscles forcing the cotton to stretch and expand around his body. When she opened her mouth to argue, he just tugged it on over her head before patting her head. “Don’t you just look adorable?” It dwarfed her, the hem reaching her mid-thighs like a dress and Malfoy had to reach over and roll up the sleeves several times for her.

Malfoy had his broom out after taking it from the team’s shed and was holding it under his arm. When he adjusted it and hopped onto it, Hermione took a step backwards, gritting her teeth from nerves.

“C’mon, I promise I won’t let you fall.”

“Do I get in the front or behind you?”

“You can get behind and wrap your arms around me, or you can hop on in front and hold onto the broom and I can reach around you.”

“Which is safer?”

He laughed at her before grabbing her hand and pulling her onto the broom in front of him.

“They’re both perfectly safe, but this way I can box you in with my arms.” He whispered into her ear, doing just that as his hands gripped the broom near her thighs. She sat rigid with perfect posture as she gripped the stick underneath her.

When Malfoy took wordlessly off into the air, Hermione squealed and one hand clutched his forearm.

“It’s okay, relax, I got you.”

At those words, one of his hands left the broomstick and gripping her stomach, pulling her against him until her back was pressed into his chest. He kept his hand splayed across her torso, his fingers spread so his pinky rested near her hip and his thumb traced back and forth along her ribs.

“I got you.” He whispered in her ear when she let out a shaky breath.

“Can you talk to me? Distract me?”

“How about you talk to me? I think that’ll help you relax and get over your fear for flying. Teach me something or tell me something I don’t already know about you.”

“Um…have I ever told you about muggle toasters?”

He shook his head and she felt the movement against her hair before he mumbled a no. His fingers had started tracing little circles through her jumper – well, his jumper.

“Oh, well, they’re this device muggles have. They use it in the kitchen. It’s actually quite useful. It’s shaped like a rectangle and has slots in it, each slot has burners inside so you can put bread inside and it’ll toast it. It’s super quick too.”

“So is a quick spell to toast your bread.”

“Yeah, well, muggles don’t have magic to perform that spell, Malfoy.”

“I know, I’m only teasing you. You’re so easy to rile up.” At that comment, his thumb brushed along the underside of her tit and she couldn’t stop her gasp. “See?”

His hand didn’t move, but suddenly the broom sped up and they were tilted upwards, her back pressing further against him. “Malfoy!”

His hand tightened its hold on her, “I got you.”

“What are you doing? Are you crazy?”

“No, but now I am.”

“Wh—”

She didn’t finish her sentence though because now they were shooting towards the ground at a shockingly fast pace. When the ground started getting closer and closer, Hermione closed her eyes tightly, willing this to end.

“You can open your eyes now, Granger. You are ridiculously easy to rile up.”

When she opened her eyes, she saw he had them ascending into the air once more, but at a leisurely pace.

“If you wanted to get me to like flying a broom, perhaps you should’ve taken this leisure approach the entire time. Do you like nearly killing me?”

“It’s a move I practice all of the time for quidditch, I wouldn’t put you in danger. Not anymore at least.”

“Malfoy—”

“I want to show you something.”

She just nodded at the subject change and let her eyes wander over the trees below her.

“Look.” He took his hand off the broom and pointed in front of him.

They were floating still in the air, a fantastic view of the castle at night before them. She could see the lake in the distance, but she was in awe of seeing her school like this. She turned her head so she could see him and saw him looking at her with a fondness in his eyes she’d never seen.

“Malfoy, I—”

“Granger,” they said in unison before she gestured for him to continue.

He cleared his throat, “Right, well, I don’t know how much clearer I can be. I’ve been trying to get you to see it all year, but it turns out you’re only smart when it comes to everything besides seeing what’s right in front of you.”

“What do you mean?”

“Oh merlin, you’re going to be the death of me, witch. I fancy you.”

“You…fancy…me?”

“It’s okay if you don’t feel the same way, I thought I had calculated interest in you as well, but I was obviously wrong, it’s okay. We’ll just start heading back.”

When he began to turn the broom around so they could return to the pitch, she reached up and gripped his arm. “That’s not what I said.”

“Well, you didn’t say much, so I don’t know what you’re meaning to tell me.”

“How about I show you?”

She asked before tilting her head so she could kiss him. It was an awkward angle and it hurt her neck so the kiss didn’t last long, but when she pulled away, she was blessed with the view of Draco Malfoy smiling at her. Not smirking or grinning, but the biggest genuine smile she’d ever seen on the man. He looked beautiful. The moon causing his hair to glow a pale silver, his eyes reflecting the moon’s shadows back at her. He was more beautiful than the view of the castle he just took her to see.

“Do you trust me?”

“I don’t know, after that near death stunt you just pulled on me…”

“Just answer the question, you swot.”

“Yes, I trust you, Draco.”

His hands wrapped around her and lifted her, causing her to yelp, before turning her around so she faced him, her thighs draped over her his so she was almost straddling him. When she was settled on the broom, his hands left her waist and caressed her face before he met her lips in the best kiss she had ever experienced in her life. When his tongue brushed against her lips causing her to part them and he kissed her like he was hungry for something only she could provide. One of his hands left her cheek to tangle in her hair before the other gripped her waist. His touch was enough to allow her to forget that he currently had no hands on the broom they were floating on. One of her hands gripped his hair and the other found its home on his cheek, her thumb brushing against his cheekbones.

When he finally pulled back, she was breathless and not from her fear of flying. He had stolen the very air from her lungs and refused to give it back, her heart pounding against her sternum. He rested his forehead against hers and gave her a smile filled with so much endearment she nearly fainted.

“Hermione Granger, can I be your boyfriend?”

She couldn’t find the words so instead she nodded before pressing her lips to his once more.

\---

So, you see, she couldn’t very well tell everyone that she stopped being scared of flying because Draco Malfoy snogged the living daylights out of her while flying on a broom. So, she came up with a lie each time. She probably should’ve stuck with a single lie as now Ginny and Theo were arguing over how she _really_ got over her fear of flying, but instead she just shared a secret smirk with Draco and shook her head at her friends’ antics.

**Author's Note:**

> I've found one of my favorite fluff tropes for Dramione is him taking her on a broomstick ride so I decided to write one myself. I hope you enjoyed and thank you for reading!


End file.
